Westward Expansion

Creativity comes from all kinds of places. But one thing I know well is that it doesn’t come from sitting at my computer hacking away at InDesign or driving in traffic (though I have written about traffic-sitting).

My best remedy is always to get out. To head west. Most notably the Davis Mountains in West Texas. It surprised me when I first arrived in that part of the state to find mountains. I thought they just existed on the license plate. But there they were. In and around them is an open sky and ideas, my friend. Rest for the kerned soul. Space far wider than between the letters. It’s a place my head can breathe.

Every time I go, I fill my lungs and eyes with the mountains and scenery. But I’ve never gone purely as a visual thinker to document the area. While a vacation sounds like fun, a creative exploration in a place I love sounds better: going somewhere with the purpose of bringing back resources for a new book or a poster or set of photographs. It’s something that’s rattling around in my head. What do I want to create?

All this is to offer you a small reminder. Get out. And don’t go just to escape, but bring a visual mind with you or your literary spirit (or both!) because creating in a new place can be more relaxing and invigorating than you think.